Learn to 'Quit Books', and Other Tips to Finally Make a Dent in Your Reading List

I often imagine the leaning tower of Pisa to be a physical manifestation of my ebook queue. I want to finish more books, but can’t seem to get through them quickly enough. As Harvard Business Review (HBR) explains, it’s not about reading speed, but about creating concerted efforts to read. Here are tips to do just that.

Out of the eight tips that HBR suggests, the one that stuck out to me the most was about “quitting books” midway through. Some of us find it strangely difficult to leave a book unfinished, even if it doesn’t interest us. For me, it’s an odd sort of guilt that begets a stubbornness to quit and delays reading all these other books in my “to read” list. So instead of feeling bad about it, reframe it as a positive thing that you are making time and mental space for much better and more quality reads.

Additionally, you can carve out a spot in your home that provides zero distractions from reading (a room with no TV or computer, for example). Or commit to a reading list from someone you admire. Or if you’re only reading on your ebook reader, try reading a physical book to mix it up. Check the HBR article for more tips and get to reading (more books).